Winter Boots

Recent Winter Boot Reviews

The North Face Chilkat IV

These boots are quite warm, which is good, but I got about 10 uses out of them over two years before the outsole delaminated and the rubber all around the boot started to crack. I bought these boots to wear when snowshoeing and when walking around ski areas. I got about 10 uses out of them, and they were very warm. The sole on the right boot started to fall off, and the rubber around the rest of the boot began to crack, so I tried to take them back to REI, but REI claims their "lifetime" warranty… Full review

The North Face Chilkat IV

Used these boots less than 12 times and they fell apart. These beauties should be appropriately named the Chilkrap boots, because that is what they are crap! Full review

Merrell Continuum

They were great until they started to fall apart. I’m in Vancouver and we get very little as far as winter goes. May have gotten 4 months of wear. Treads are perfect, but the toe on one shoe is torn apart and there is a 1 1/2" split on the other. No longer waterproof. I would expect more, but according to Merrell, it’s normal?? No promotion from me on this brand. I will stick to Columbia or North Face! Poor quality. If you want something that will last, buy Columbia or North Face or another… Full review

Steger Mukluks Arctic

These boots will leak dye all over your floor and your feet, and the company will do nothing at all about it. Sorry, people. Do yourself a favor and buy Manitobah Mukluks instead. Full review

Baffin Apex

Warm, good fit, stable grip. I don't have a photo of these and no longer own them, but I used them in the Arctic for three years with fairly good success. The only times they failed me were when standing long in one spot by a seal hole in the coldest times in dark season (below -45°C). In these cases the issue was easily resolved by local Inuit trick of standing on a winter caribou fur mat. I now own the similar Epic boot and love it, but needed two sizes up to avoid cutting off the circulation. Full review

Herman Survivor Tracer

Sole not stitched, only glued. There are a lot of good points about this boot. However, the fact that the sole is not stitched, but it’s made to look like it is, gives me pause. Actually it gave me a boot for where sole came completely off. And I was left with the lace-up ankle high moccasin. Very disappointing. Full review

Sorel Conquest

Really comfortable and warm boots that fit well.  After four winter seasons the rubber uppers split split side to side across the toes.  I wore them about 15 times per season, so everything else was like new, just garbage rubber used in the manufacturing.  Full review

Oboz Bridger 10" Insulated Waterproof

The Oboz Bridger 10" Insulated Waterproof boot are excellent winter boots. They are comfortable, warm for hiking in temps into the teens, have good traction on most conditions, with the exception being ice. Highly recommend, especially for people who like a taller boot with great support. Very comfortable, snug, supportive, and warm. Required no breaking in. Soles are harder and stiffer than other boots, which makes them very durable, but are a bit more slippery on ice. I have a pair of Columbia… Full review

Sorel Caribou

I had a pair of Sorel pac boots I used hard for over 20 years. At one point I even had a cobbler replace the heel because I had worn the heel flat. After the fore sole was worn bald I finally retired them because they no longer had any traction. I replaced them with a pair of Caribous a year or so ago and and the rubber has split and cracked at flexing points already exactly as Paul LP lower photos show below. What a shame for a brand that had made such a great durable boot years ago to now make… Full review